The case of Amanda Lewis - a Florida mother sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her daughter - has resurfaced after her son, who was the key witness in her 2008 trial, spoke publicly for the first time in nearly two decades.
AJ Hutto, now 24, has shared his thoughts about testifying against his mother when he was just seven years old, telling the Daily Mail he stands by everything he said in court.
"I just told them exactly what I saw word for word. It was heartbreaking. You know, she's my mother," AJ recalled. "But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end."
What happened to Adrianna Hutto?
The tragic events unfolded on August 8, 2007, in the small rural town of Esto, Florida, just near the Alabama state line. That day, seven-year-old Adrianna Elaine Hutto was found unresponsive in the family's backyard pool, per CourtTV.
Amanda Lewis, who had reportedly just returned home after a night shift, told authorities that Adrianna had accidentally fallen into the water while trying to clean bugs from the pool’s surface.
At first, her explanation was accepted, and investigators treated the incident as a tragic accident.
But the case took a shocking turn when her son AJ came forward with a very different version of events.
“She throwed her in the pool”
In a video-recorded interview, AJ told investigators: “She done some stuff that she ain't supposed to, so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool.”
His chilling account suggested that his mother, angry over Adrianna’s behavior, had intentionally drowned her. AJ even submitted drawings to the court showing what he said he had witnessed—his mother holding his sister underwater as punishment.
At trial in February 2008, AJ, then just seven, wore a collared shirt and vest as he took the stand. His testimony became the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case.
Amanda Lewis found guilty despite her denials
After four days of testimony, the jury convicted Amanda Lewis of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In a 2016 prison interview with Piers Morgan on Killer Women, Lewis continued to deny responsibility for her daughter’s death and shared her version of what happened.
"We had went outside. The kids were playing. [I] had to step back inside. Somewhere along the point she had pulled the wagon by the pool. Somewhere along the line she fell in," she said.
"Adrianna was playing in the pool. I looked out the back door and that's when I can barely see her floating in the pool."
Despite the differences in their stories, Lewis made it clear she still cared deeply for her son.
"I love him no matter what, I will always love him. He is in no way blame him for what happened."
“I don’t believe I was coached”: AJ maintains his version of events
Now an adult, AJ has reaffirmed the testimony he gave as a child, insisting he was never manipulated by prosecutors.
“I don't believe I was, what they've called, coached or anything like that,” he said. “I just told them exactly what I saw, word for word.”
AJ also reflected on the emotional difficulty of seeing his mother in court.
"It was heartbreaking. She's my mother. But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end."
“I’ve wanted to keep it that way”: No contact since the trial
Since Amanda Lewis's conviction, AJ has had no contact with her. Adopted by another family, he now lives under a different name and identity for his own safety and peace of mind.
“It’s court-appointed that we cannot see each other,” AJ said. “And I've wanted to keep it that way, just so nothing's getting brought back up… all the feelings, emotions, and traumas coming back into light."